Feel pressured to get Covid vaccine... 13 weeks

[gonewithtthewind]

So I'm 13 weeks 1 day. I've had two covid jabs before I was pregnant, I am NOT an anti vaxx person at all. I've had nearly every vaccine offered to me. I will be having my whooping cough vaccine at 16 weeks.

I was offered my booster covid jab at 12 weeks but refused as I just feel a bit uneasy getting the covid jab while pregnant, I know how silly that may sound but it just scares me. I was fine with my first covid jab but very I'll with my second jab which is why I never got the booster in the end. Ever since I feel like I've been pressured by the midwife to get the booster jab, despite me refusing. I've just said I would think about it. I don't really know what to do? Pros/cons? Did you have it when pregnant?

I don't want to be bashed for not getting the booster, I do believe covid is still around. I wear a mask everywhere I go and have done since the beginning. I just hate the pressure and hate feeling like I'm putting my baby at risk because that's absolutely not what I want but at the same time I'm scared of the risk of the covid jab while pregnant and what affect that will have on my baby. I will get the booster once I've given birth if I decide against it when pregnant; I just feel so unsure.

Just to chime in to say I’m in a similar position. I had my first dose in December 2021 and had chest pains and some scary side effects so I didn’t get the second dose.

i then caught covid June 2022 at 6 weeks pregnant. I was so so ill. I’ve only felt that ill once before in my life. It’s taken me so long to recover and still feel out of breath at times now at 14weeks. I remember thinking at the time if I was really heavily pregnant with a massive bump I would have been in trouble.

Now I have to decide if I trust my antibodies from x1 dose and natural infection to get me through the rest of the pregnancy, or if I get my second dose and risk possible side effects again.

If I do get my second dose I will wait until after 20 weeks.

If you don’t want it then don’t get it, no one can force you. Just stick to ‘no thanks’ and that’s it.

I was pregnant in 2020 and then 2021. Never had any vaccine because I just didn’t want too

I totally get the hesitation, however if it helps I had my booster when I was pregnant. They gave me a 3rd dose of Pfizer because I hadn't reacted badly to it before, which was reassuring. I had it very early in the pregnancy but any immunity I can pass to baby is worth it for me.
As it happens I had covid 3 weeks ago at 28 weeks pregnant, it was like the flu for 2 days and then a bad cold, however I'm still struggling with fatigue after it. Combined with the current heat and being 31 weeks pregnant I'm very glad I've been vaccinated.
But - your body, your baby, your rules. YOU have to make the decision and be comfortable with what YOU choose and noone should be forcing you to do it x

But how do you feel about getting Covid while pregnant? What risks will that pose for you and your unborn baby?
Look into that properly, then come back and tell us you still don't want the booster.

Try asking them to state your current risk, statistically.
Then ask for how much the vaccine reduces your risk, so it could be 50%, ask to cite the package insert together which will show the best possible results they got.

Then see how much less your risk will be.

I just did the QCOVID qcovid.org/Calculation one and my highest risk was Risk of catching and being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 following a positive test result was 0.8617% 1 in 116 1.1099%

So, how much does the vaccine improve? Say it's 90% effective (it isn't, it's much lower on the package insert)

So how much does the vaccine improve my risk? What's 90% of 0.87? It's 1.1

Is a 1.1% reduction in risk worth a further risk from vaccine injury? There's a known risk of blood clots, small yes, and COVID19 brings a risk of that, but again my risk is already very low and doesn't improve much from a vaccine.

I have a family history of blood clots. I've decided against any vaccines for COVID personally and for my child, whose risk is even lower. We've both been exposed to covid multiple times with no symptoms.

Speak with your midwife about all this and discuss the risks sensibly. they only want to make sure you've made an informed decision and they won't pressure you, as they are not meant to because informed consent is key.

Do the research and make the decision for yourself. I had the first two doses while I was pregnant and then the booster as soon as I was eligible which was about 2 months post partum. There was a study that came out while I was pregnant that suggested that stillbirth chances were elevated if the mother caught covid in the final stages of pregnancy. For me, that was the deciding factor that led me to get the vaccine. This was shortly after they changed the advice on pregnant women receiving the vaccine and when the take up by pregnant women was very, very low (around 1 in 10) ultimately it's your body, your choice but if it wasn't medically safe, it wouldn't be offered.

A mother who lost her baby after getting Covid-19 while she was pregnant (before vaccines were available) has urged other pregnant women to get vaccinated.

BBC news story

I had my booster before I knew I was pregnant in early Feb. I felt absolutely awful (really stiff joints, headache, cold) for a couple of days.

I’m now almost 33 weeks pregnant and baby is fine.

I caught covid at 26 weeks and felt pretty bad for a couple of days (worse than when I caught it when I wasn’t pregnant). Midwives said the thing to watch out for was my temp spiking which didn’t happen. They did ask if I was fully vaccinated (inc booster) and were reassured when I said I was.

Link is here:www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-62439289?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Here's the only reference to COVID, absolutely no mention of COVID infecion being the case or even a factor in the loss of the pregnancy, unless I'm mistaken?

So we don't know if the mother was even ill, or whether it's just that she tested positive for covid. I think these are important details. I also suspect that if COVID was a factor or cause of the baby's death, then that would have been mentioned or would have led the articile.

At the time, no vaccines were available, so Toni spent months shielding.
But shortly before Christmas, she caught coronavirus and she became concerned about Darcey.

Have a good think before you get it, look at facts not scare tactics. Don't be pressured by midwife or anyone on here either - your body your choice. I caught Covid about 13 weeks into pregnancy and everything was OK- felt like bad flu. Don't let others guilt trip you either. Good luck in whatever choice you make x

Your body, and your choice! Please don’t worry or
feel pressured - it’s a personal decision. I haven’t had any covid vaccines, I’m not anti vax at all and I have reasons for not taking it. I spoke to my midwife at booking and she was fine and just agreed it’s personal choice but to look on the nhs website if I need any info on them! :)

Please don't send me articles ect that will add to my anxiety. I really don't feel like that's fair and adds pressure. It's scary as it is I don't want to hear about women who have had stillborns.

I've said in previous comments I'll probably get the vaccine at my 20 week scan but I don't feel comfortable getting it before then. Thank you everyone for the reply's.

Don't let the midwife pressure you into anything. It needs to be your decision. I don't think there's a massive risk either way.

I had the first two shots last year and haven't had the booster during my current preg. Had covid at 22 weeks and all was fine. Obviously that's just anecdotal but that was my experience. Also went my whole first pregnancy when there was no vaccine available.
You can only do what you're comfortable with. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

But that's all they have is scare tactics and missrepresented statistics. Such as thousands of malnourished children die from measles complications globally, so that means healthy babies in the UK should receive a preventive vaccine. That makes no sense, yet it's the arguments they choose, because it's all they have.

I’ve had no Covid jabs, no flu jab and no whooping cough. I’ve not been pestered or felt pressured by anyone to get any of them done.
Simply remind your midwife that vaccination in the UK is no mandatory and you’ve made your decision

I have had the first 2 jabs and no boosters. I told the midwife I won’t be having a booster. I had a very bad Crohn’s flare just after the jabs. Coincidence or not, I wasn’t taking the risk. They accepted my decision and no more has been said

I had my second jab at 10 weeks pregnant and booster during my 3rd trimester I think it was and my baby is totally fine. She's 4 and a half months happily asleep in my arms. At the time of offering boosters the amount of oregnant ladies in ICU who were unvaccinated was staggering which Is why I happily got it

I had my second and third jabs while pregnant and my baby is thriving. I weighed up the risks and felt that the bad outcomes associated with getting a bad case of COVID in late pregnancy would be worse than the vanishingly small possibility of side effects from the vaccination. I'd encourage you to go ahead, but I understand how stressful it is making decisions when you want to prioritise the health of your baby.

Don't read this OP but in answer to this poster, in NI and the ROI there are proven statistics that Covid has caused the worst case scenarios so it's wholly inaccurate to say what you've said and does a great disservice to the mothers and babies who have suffered the worst.

I'm in the same boat as OP so in no way am I pro Covid vaccine but no matter what but I can accept the science.

What's "the science" exactly? What are you actually referring to?

@Emcs you do know Whooping cough can kill babies, right?

OP it is scary, but for me, the alternative was scarier. I had my whooping cough and covid booster 5 days apart at about 16 weeks. They give pregnant women pfizer mostly. I was absolutely fine, no side effects at all. Consider also one of the benefits is passing antibodies to your baby, so maybe you might feel more comfortable later in your pregnancy. It's not just about what happens on pregnancy, but once the baby is born too. I had my booster in December and caught covid in June when my LG was 6 weeks. I was petrified she was going to be really poorly, but she was fine and I'm glad I was vaccinated when pregnant. I was ill, but not terribly so. Who knows if the booster made any difference to that or not, but I'm still glad I had it.

@lawandgin you just reminded me I got the whooping cough, flu jag and booster on the same day 😅 I was like a wee pin cushion! I think its also been proven babies who were in the womb when their mothers got covid vaccine were born with antibodies to it?

@lawandgin just saw you mentioned that duh baby brain 😅

I had whooping cough as a pre-teen, and it was horrific. I was sick every time I coughed for weeks. I can easily see how babies die from it, and do not understand how anyone could put their child at risk by not getting the vaccination.

@Caass45 yes I had the flu jab around the same time too! I think it was just a couple of weeks before.